Lockdown Cross-Stitch
These cross-stitch pieces were made as London entered a period of lockdown in March 2020 due to Covid-19.
The act of 'making' has always been a central part of Elgar's practice, whether crafting backdrops, puppets or props for her photographs. Creating cross-stitch embroidery became an extension of this, starting at a time when she was confined to her flat in London as the first lockdown was announced in the Spring of 2020. It was a cathartic and levelling way of dealing with and navigating the anxieties the pandemic gave rise to. Characters appear vulnerable, fearful and lost, suspended in spaces stripped of locality and context, in tandem with the swirling chaos of the outside world, as the UK government pondered when and whether to lockdown. Role play and disguise offer a child-like point of release in these pieces, providing fantasy worlds in counterpoint to the increasingly narrow confines of home.
Week one, 2020 lockdown, 25 x 28cm embroidery on cotton.
Week three, 2020 lockdown, 25 x 27cm embroidery on cotton.
Week four, 2020 lockdown, 29 x 22cm embroidery on cotton.
Week six, 2020 lockdown, 24 x 25cm embroidery on cotton.
Week eight, 2020 lockdown, 25 x 26cm embroidery on cotton.
Tier 4, 2020 lockdown, 29 x 26cm embroidery on cotton.
Tier 4, 2020 lockdown, 26 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week one, 2021 lockdown, 30 x 43cm embroidery on cotton.
Week two, 2021 lockdown, 30 x 43cm embroidery on cotton.
Week three, 2021 lockdown, 30 x 43cm embroidery on cotton.
Week five, 2021 lockdown, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week six, 2021 lockdown, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week seven, 2021 lockdown, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week eight, 2021 lockdown, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week nine, 2021 lockdown, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Week eleven, 2021 lockdown, 32 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Week twelve, 2021 lockdown, 40 x 50cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 1, 2022, 50 x 60cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 2, 2022, 50 x 60cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 3, 2022, 35 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 4, 2022, 35 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 5, 2022, 35 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 6, 2022, 35 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 7, 2022, 35 x 40cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 8, 2022, 32 x 29cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 9, 2023, 35 x 32cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 10, 2023, 32 x 36cm embroidery on cotton.
Untitled # 11, 2023, 55 x 72cm embroidery on cotton.
Ivy Walters # 1, 2020, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton (pre-lockdown).
Ivy Walters # 2, 2020, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.
Ivy Walters # 3, 2020, 27 x 30cm embroidery on cotton.